When Our Hearts Say Yes
Back in the early 80’s, I attended a high school football game with bragging rights on the line. It was late in the game, the score was close, but momentum and possession were in the hands of our rivals. With minutes left, frustrated and disappointed, the gang I ran with decided to leave early. Slinking out of our seats and into the parking lot, we suddenly heard a huge sustained roar as the crowd went wild. Something had happened. We ran the 100 yards back to the stadium just as it was emptying into the field. Everyone was euphoric, celebrating an unlikely end zone interception that had been run back for a touchdown as the clock ran out, giving our team the win in regular time. When we understood, we were excited but so bummed that we missed it. Over and over again those who saw us leave kept saying, “Boy you missed it, you missed it.” They were right and I hated it.
Feeling like you’ve “missed it” is a terrible feeling, especially in regards to the things of God. I kick myself every time I hear friends say, “Rus, you should have been there…” Hindsight always has me wishing I had made that meeting or heard that speaker, or witnessed that miracle.
That is, until one day when the Lord steadied my thoughts, saying, “Hearts with YES, always SEE.” Essentially, expectant hearts never miss Him. You simply can’t miss God with a YES resounding in your spirit. He sees that YES and rewards it with Himself, no matter where you are.
I experienced this lesson from a different perspective on a recent ministry trip to Mexico. Emotionally, “my spirit was willing, but my flesh was weak,” in the days prior to our departure. It had been a busy and stressful couple of weeks complicated further by a chest cold. Because of that, I hadn’t thought deeply about our trip, yet a strange sense of peace pervaded. A terrific team of nine had been assembled, willing and able to offer their ears and prayers. That felt good as we served a different need on this trip, the hearts of the workers.
It was amazing to see how ready this team was to respond to whatever God might have in mind. We didn’t know much going into the experience, but that’s what is so beautiful about those who have a YES in their spirit—they move at the impulse of His love rather than their own desires. They become the instrument of God’s will. And so we were.
You simply can’t miss God with a YES resounding in your spirit.
For four days straight, we prayed in teams of three, with translators, ministering the love of the Father from morning until evening. We cared for 50-60 individuals. We had a lot of reps of 1-2 hour prayer slots; we were tired, but never exhausted. The underpinning of the presence of God was astounding and accompanied the entire team.
As it turned out, God was ever before us. We led several heartfelt times of worship and right at the first He gave us a hint of what was to come. In a soaking atmosphere we quietly prayed, laying our hands lightly on the shoulders of the ones we’d come to serve. Suddenly, several of us were overwhelmed with compassion and tears. It caught me by surprise, as I wasn’t feeling it the moment before. What was God up to? Slowly we understood that His people were very weary and that He had great compassion. He intended to do body ministry Himself. That became the tenor and tone of our prayer times. We asked Jesus to come, and followed His lead.
The teaching, ministry, prayer, relational time, all aspects of the week seemed to be under divine direction; we couldn’t mess it up, as long as the YES was strong in our spirits.
Hour after hour we experienced revelation that opened up the heart, we saw pain and disappointment leave in Jesus’ name. People were healed, some remarkably delivered, and many received confidence that God hears and sees them. And overarching it all was the Lord’s great love. No single story overshadowed the rest, everyone experienced the Father in the way He wanted to be experienced, and that included us.
Rarely have I been part of a “divine happening” like the one we experienced those days. I didn’t see it coming nor did I plan for it. I might have missed it, were it not for the YES in my spirit.
I love it when the things that happen can only be blamed on God, and not the carefully crafted plans of men. You don’t see them until you’re experiencing them. Afterwards it’s hard to describe. Words like “awesome, powerful, anointed” don’t seem to satisfy, and the impact is hard to describe. This was our experience.
Overwhelmed was the most consistent feedback we heard. “Wow. Wow, Wow, I have no words,” more tears. Even several translators wept while translating the words God was communicating to the ones He desperately loved.
How could such a short span of time forge such deep connection? One described it this way: “Being in the ‘sacred spiritual trenches’ with each of you has brought a bond in my heart that I can’t quite explain.”
Our team arrived home tender and changed. “I wouldn’t have missed this trip for the world,” we all said. And the truth is, we wouldn’t have missed it, we never will, so long as the YES in our spirit leads our days.
What’s your heart saying YES to today?
For me, I caught some vision. Vision for what Kingdom Prayer Initiatives could be heading for in the future.
Hang in there, the game's not over, the best is yet to come!